I've compiled all the information we know so far about Paizo's upcoming Starfinder RPG, which launches next year; it was announced in May, but my coverage has been lost in the recent crash. The game is based on the Pathfinder rules, and is broadly compatible but may require some "minimal" conversion. It's science-fantasy standalone game which crosses magic with technology (it sounds very similar to Dragonstar for those who remember that!)
Products. Starfinder Adventure Path and Core Rulebook (August 2017, at Gen Con). Starfinder Bestiary soon after (this looks like it will also contain player alien races). The core rulebook will not be have same structure as the Pathfinder one. Starfinder will not be getting as much support as Pathfinder traditionally has. The setting is included in the core book.
Races. In addition to the Pathfinder core races (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human), Starfinder also includes Androids, Ratfolk, Kasatha, Lashunta, and two other alien races. The Lashunta -- "They’re the main race for Castrovel, They’re humanoid, psychic… got a bit of a Vulcan thing going for them in terms of their mindset."
Classes. The core Starfinder classes are Soldier (fighter), Operative (rogue), Mechanic (create robots), Envoy (buffer, diplomat), Technomancer (magic and tech hybrid; Warhammer 40K librarians), Mystic (oracle), Solerian (special energy powers).
Setting. Set in Golarion's solar system (as described in Pathfinder's Distant Worlds), but the core Pathfinder world, Golarion, is missing. Even the gods will not reveal where it is, but they say it is safe - it has not been destroyed. There is a memory gap (actually called "the Gap"), multiverse-wide, covering the entirety of Golarion and its history, although the actual memory gap length varies from place to place. " So you go to one system, maybe the edge is three hundred years before present day in Starfinder, but you go to another system somewhere else and maybe it’s three hundred and five years before present day. Where the cutoff is wavers, and all the Starfinders really want to find out as much information as they can from planets where the Gap is in a different place so they can rebuild that history that’s been lost."
The core location of the new setting is a space station called Absolam Station, which is where Golarion used to be and is described as "the UN meets Babylon 5". Societies are advanced into the future -- "What if Hellknights’ citadels, instead of being castles, were these big warships floating through space? Does the Church of Iomedae have giant cathedral ships throughout the system?"
FTL Travel. FTL travel is part of the setting. The distance travelled can have environmental effects, up to and including creation of or changing of planes.
Other Technology. The usual lasers, plasma, power armor, spaceships are included. Magic items are rarer. Cybernetics exist.
Starships. Starship combat is described as "Star Trek/Firefly-esque", and also "Battletech/Spelljammer", takes place on a 2D hex grid, and involves all players having a part in combat with each ship role hinging on a specific skill. Initiative has the winner moving last (reverse order) so they can react to the loser. Combat is divided into phases (engineering, piloting, gunnery). Starships have their own character sheets and are upgradeable. Ship roles include captain (buffs), pilot (stunts), science officer (scans), gunner (shoots), engineer (directs power). Fairly standard fare for the genre.
Image from Jason Bulmahn
Religion. Hyperspace was "gifted" to the galaxy by an ascended AI god; this god has some kind of link to one of Golarion's gods. Some of Golarion's gods are missing. In the Starfinder rulebook, 20 gods will be listed. Examples include Abadar (god of commerce; followers have created a corporation called Abadar Corp); Iomedae (followers have great cathedral ships).
Rules. Similar to Pathfinder. "There will be changes to the core engine, but it’ll be close enough that if you have a Pathfinder Bestiary, you can take an ogre out of that, give him a laser gun and use him in Starfinder with minimal conversation." Magic items will change -- "One thing that will not be in there is the conventional Pathfinder magic item creation system. We’re tweaking the rules around gear and economics and magic. We want to make it a little less bookkeeping and a little more “sense of wonder.”"
Playtests. There won't be an open playtest of this one.
Places to read more (sadly we lost EN World's interview and all the Starfinder coverage I've done in the recent crash, thus this article).
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Products. Starfinder Adventure Path and Core Rulebook (August 2017, at Gen Con). Starfinder Bestiary soon after (this looks like it will also contain player alien races). The core rulebook will not be have same structure as the Pathfinder one. Starfinder will not be getting as much support as Pathfinder traditionally has. The setting is included in the core book.
Races. In addition to the Pathfinder core races (Dwarf, Elf, Gnome, Halfling, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human), Starfinder also includes Androids, Ratfolk, Kasatha, Lashunta, and two other alien races. The Lashunta -- "They’re the main race for Castrovel, They’re humanoid, psychic… got a bit of a Vulcan thing going for them in terms of their mindset."
Classes. The core Starfinder classes are Soldier (fighter), Operative (rogue), Mechanic (create robots), Envoy (buffer, diplomat), Technomancer (magic and tech hybrid; Warhammer 40K librarians), Mystic (oracle), Solerian (special energy powers).
Setting. Set in Golarion's solar system (as described in Pathfinder's Distant Worlds), but the core Pathfinder world, Golarion, is missing. Even the gods will not reveal where it is, but they say it is safe - it has not been destroyed. There is a memory gap (actually called "the Gap"), multiverse-wide, covering the entirety of Golarion and its history, although the actual memory gap length varies from place to place. " So you go to one system, maybe the edge is three hundred years before present day in Starfinder, but you go to another system somewhere else and maybe it’s three hundred and five years before present day. Where the cutoff is wavers, and all the Starfinders really want to find out as much information as they can from planets where the Gap is in a different place so they can rebuild that history that’s been lost."
The core location of the new setting is a space station called Absolam Station, which is where Golarion used to be and is described as "the UN meets Babylon 5". Societies are advanced into the future -- "What if Hellknights’ citadels, instead of being castles, were these big warships floating through space? Does the Church of Iomedae have giant cathedral ships throughout the system?"
FTL Travel. FTL travel is part of the setting. The distance travelled can have environmental effects, up to and including creation of or changing of planes.
Other Technology. The usual lasers, plasma, power armor, spaceships are included. Magic items are rarer. Cybernetics exist.
Starships. Starship combat is described as "Star Trek/Firefly-esque", and also "Battletech/Spelljammer", takes place on a 2D hex grid, and involves all players having a part in combat with each ship role hinging on a specific skill. Initiative has the winner moving last (reverse order) so they can react to the loser. Combat is divided into phases (engineering, piloting, gunnery). Starships have their own character sheets and are upgradeable. Ship roles include captain (buffs), pilot (stunts), science officer (scans), gunner (shoots), engineer (directs power). Fairly standard fare for the genre.
Image from Jason Bulmahn
Religion. Hyperspace was "gifted" to the galaxy by an ascended AI god; this god has some kind of link to one of Golarion's gods. Some of Golarion's gods are missing. In the Starfinder rulebook, 20 gods will be listed. Examples include Abadar (god of commerce; followers have created a corporation called Abadar Corp); Iomedae (followers have great cathedral ships).
Rules. Similar to Pathfinder. "There will be changes to the core engine, but it’ll be close enough that if you have a Pathfinder Bestiary, you can take an ogre out of that, give him a laser gun and use him in Starfinder with minimal conversation." Magic items will change -- "One thing that will not be in there is the conventional Pathfinder magic item creation system. We’re tweaking the rules around gear and economics and magic. We want to make it a little less bookkeeping and a little more “sense of wonder.”"
Playtests. There won't be an open playtest of this one.
Places to read more (sadly we lost EN World's interview and all the Starfinder coverage I've done in the recent crash, thus this article).
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